Croatian Aviation reports that South Korea’s low-cost airline, T’way Air, has signed a lease agreement for three A330-300 wide-body aircraft it will take over in early 2022. So far, the company has not had wide-body aircraft in its fleet and plans to launch several long-haul routes next summer, including one to Croatia.
T’way currently has only narrow-body aircraft type B737-800 (27 of them) in its fleet, with which it operates on routes within South Korea, but also on several international routes to China, Japan, Russia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
After Korean Air canceled the Seoul-Zagreb-Seoul route, T’way received permission from the South Korean Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure to introduce a direct flight from South Korea to Croatia (up to a maximum of four flights per week). The company planned its first long-haul flights for this year, but as the global pandemic has not yet calmed, plans have been postponed until next year.
Tickets on the company’s long-haul routes are not yet on sale for next year, and T’way has not yet announced the line between South Korea and Croatia. Still, when announcing the introduction of long-haul lines, the company’s CEO confirmed that Croatia would be among the first destinations.
On the other hand, Korean Air is selling tickets on the direct line between Seoul and Zagreb starting in April next year, but it should be reminded that the tickets on the direct line were on sale this year as well, and there are no flights due to the global pandemic.
If Korean Air returns to Zagreb in the spring of 2022 (chances are slim), T’way’s logical destination would be Dubrovnik. As the largest Korean carrier is unlikely to return to Zagreb Airport, it is expected that this low-cost carrier will introduce a line between Seoul and Zagreb.
Korean Air had no success in Zagreb. There are several reasons, but one of the main ones is the company’s pricing policy. Namely, for passengers departing from Zagreb to Seoul and other destinations in Asia and Australia, Korean Air was almost always the most expensive option. Also, the competition offered significantly more weekly flights (Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines). Due to all the above, the share of Korean citizens on the line to and from Zagreb was 98%.
If T’way really launches flights to Croatia next summer, we can expect significantly cheaper ticket prices compared to those offered by Korean Air. Connections via Seoul would allow travelers from Croatia to continue traveling to numerous destinations in Japan and China. Since Emirates does not plan to return to Zagreb, it would be another good option for travelers to these countries. South Korean tourists have been one of the most important in Croatia for years, especially in Zagreb.
Before the pandemic, Korean Air planned a series of charter flights between Seoul and Dubrovnik in the summer of 2020 with a B777-300ER aircraft, and in addition to the regular route to Zagreb, which was to continue to operate 3 times a week with the aircraft type B787-9, additional charter flights to the capital of Croatia are planned.
Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.
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